House Bill 397, which took effect upon Deal's signature, is the
first major rewrite of Georgia's sunshine laws in more than a
decade. New provisions in the open records and meetings laws
increase fines for offenders. The maximum penalty of $500 is now
$1,000, and offenders who commit repeat violations within a year
face fines of up to $2,500.

Previously, the sunshine laws allowed only criminal complaints to be
filed against suspected violators, meaning a prosecutor would have
to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The rewrite now allows
the filing of civil complaints, which have a lower burden of proof.

That could be interesting if anyone actually files a complaint.

The rewrite also would provide new exemptions for some gatherings of
governing bodies, such as allowing a quorum of members to attend the
same civic function, receive training or visit government agencies
— provided no official business is discussed or transpires.

presumably from $125.09 to $50.04.
Of course, it's been yet another year since Allan Ricketts
supplied Bobbi Anne Hancock with a "notification that cost incurred"
would be $125.09 for 2006 to 2011.
So presumably add another $10 or so.

In another ten days it will be a year since VLCIA Chairman Roy Copeland
told me he was in favor of putting the minutes online.
In another couple of months he won't even be on the VLCIA board anymore.
Still VLCIA has no minutes online.

The new law adds an economic development exception:

Under the new law, state incentives being offered to projects that
cost more than $25 million or hire more than 50 employees will
remain secret until a company commits to the development or abandons
negotiations. When a company commits to a project, the Georgia
Department of Economic Development will now publish the incentives
on its website. If the project is abandoned, the incentive package
can be obtained under the Open Records Act, upon request.

That exception doesn't seem to have much to do with most of what VLCIA discusses,
so it doesn't give them any new excuses not to post minutes.

HB 397 is a good start; a cloudy sunrise.
More can be done.
How about requiring any tax-funded or publicly-appointed agency to post
agendas and minutes on its website, and to have a website for that purpose?
How about require including relevant items from board packets with
the agendas?
If
both school boards can do it,
the Industrial Authority and all the other local appointed
and elected boards can do it.

The legislature could turn this cloudy sunrise into a sunny day for Georgia.